Automobile headlight-controlling device.



1545 to. direct their rays' of light in the true l1ne UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

JOHN SAMUEL CUTTER, 0F SABULA, IOWA.

AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT-CON'IROLLING DEVICE.

T0 all whom it may concern,

Be it known that I, JoiiN S. COTTER, a citizen oi' the United States, and a resident of Sabula, in the county of Jackson and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Imj'novements in Automobile Headlight-Controlling Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This inventiorkrelates to 'automobile headlight controllingdevices and aims primarily to provideia device which may be readily applied to any type of automobile without alteration of the machine itself, and will automatically operate to turn the headlights of travel of the'machine. In this manner,

the device embodying the present invention is designed to avoid accidents liable to occur at turns in the road over which the machine is traveling, due to the inability of the operator of the machine to see objects directly in front thereof. Not only does the invention contemplate the provision of a device'of this type which may be readily applied to any ordinary automobile withoutl alteration ot' the latter, but it also aims to provide such a device which will not be subjected to strain when the body of the automobile yields upwardly and downwardly upon its supporting springs, or moves forwardly or rearwardly with relation to its frontfsupporting axle. Most devices of this type are open to this objection for the reasonA that the movement of the body of the automobie' relative to the axles jars the lamps or headlightsto such an extent as to render the light uncertain. 'This objection is, however, overcome in the present invention by the provision of a conneetion between the steering mechanism of the automobile and the headlight supports whichiwill compensate for relative movement of the body and supporting frame and axles of the automobile.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and finally pointed out in the appended claims, it being further understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like Specification of Letters Patent.

Application tiled October 11, 1911.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914. Serial No. 654,097.

numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views: I `igure 1, is a top plan view of the device embodying the present invention applied to the fore part of an automobile. Fig. 2, is a central sectional view through Fig. l... Fig. 3, is a detail view in elevation ot one of the clamping collars attached to the steering mechanism of the automobile. Fig. 4, is a top plan view of one "of the headlight supports. Fig. 5, is a similar view of one of the lamp heads, upon which the' headlight support is mounted.

In the drawings there are shown only such parts of an automobile as those to which the device is directly related or applied. The front axle of the automobile is indicated by the numeral 1, and the supporting wheels at the ends thereof by the numeral 2. The spindles for the wheels 2 are carried by the usual steering knuckles 3, the arms of which are indicated by the numeral 4. The usual coreeting rod 5, extends between and connects the ends of the steering knuckle arms 4, as shown in Fig. l, of the drawings, and connected to one of the said knuckles in the usual manner is a steering rod 6.

The device embodying the present invention includes a carrying har 7, which is proe vided at each end with a suitable receive the studs l0, as shown in Fig. 3, of the drawings, each of which forms part of a split collar 9. These members serve to pivotally support the respective ends of the earrying bar. The lower ends of the studs 10, are threaded and a nut 11, is fitted upon each stud and is held in place by means of a cotter pin or like element 12, secured through the stud. Each nut 11, has an outer ratchet face, engaged bythe connected cotter pin. The split collars 9, are fitted upon the steering forks 4, in the manner shown in Fig. 1, of the drawings and are clamped to the said forks by means oit' bolts 13, secured through the collar ends, as shown in Fig. 3. The bolts 13, are provided with a nut locking device, as indicated bv the numeral 14, ineluding a ratchet faced nut and being .identical in construction with the device previously described for locking the nuts 11 in place.

The headlight supports includev brackets which are indicated by the numeral 15, land are of the ordinary construction, there being two such brackets, one located at each side of the front of the automobile. Upontlie outer and of each bracket 15th'ere is tixedia.'

opening to "portion 17,

head lo, which outline and is Thelamp or headlight supporting base ofA the device is indicated by the numeral 22, and, as shown in Fig. 1i, of the drawings, consists of av plate formed with a ball race 23, in its underside, and with a centrally located bolt opening 2d. The lamp supporting forks are indicated by the numeral 25, each itork endingv in a threaded stud Q6, arranged to pass through the openings 8', within the ears 9. ln mounting the plates 22, upon the respective heads i6, a `bolt 27, shown in l, is passed through the openings 21 and 2li, in the said heads and the plates 22, respectively, and a ratchet faced nut 2S, is

threaded upon each of the bolts 27, and

locked in place by means oit-a cotter pin Q9, secured through the respective bolt, Ias shown in Fie". 2, the drawings. l 1Bearing balls 30, are arranged in the upper race in the head '16, and the underside of?, each-plate- 22. d. washer 3l, is arranged u in each ot the bolts 27, and each washer is onmed in its upper tace with. a ball race in which, and a similar race in 'the underside of the respective head 1G., are arranged bearing balls 3Q.

The l'ieadlights are indicated by the numeral 33, and are supported upon the 'forks 25, in the usual manner.

Each of the headlight supporting plates 722, is provided with a. forwardly extending ear 34, formed with an opening 35 and a coupling bar 3G, is provided at its ends with spaced ears 37, which straddle the said cars of the plates 22. Bolts 38, are passed through the openings in the ears 3f?, and the ears 34, of the plates i2, which they straddle and suitable nuts are threaded upon the said bolts and are held against backward turning by means ot cotter pins secured through the said bolts, in the manner described. ln this manner, the two headlight supporting plates are connected for simultaneous turning movement.

Collars ll, are clamped by means of bolts 42, upon the coupling bar 36, as shown in Fig. l, ot the drawings, and each of these collars is formed with an ear 513, which projects rearwardly therefrom, as shown in the said ligure. Each of the ears 43, is received between' spaced ears ed, 'formed lupon a 'coupling head 45, and a pivot bolt 46, is secured through the said ears and supports the respective coupling head 45, for vertical swinging movement. An auxiliary rod 47, is vpiimted at its front end to each of the -at the forward side of a main knuckle 5S,

Lizineae' heads d5, the rear ends of the rods 47, being pivotally connected as at 4:9, to a knuckle 50, which is provided with spaced ears 51, between which is pivoted an ear 52, formed the pivot being in the nature of ay bolt 54;, passed through the said ears 51 and 52. rl`he main knuckle 53, is formed at its rear with spaced pairs of ears 55, shown in Fig. 2, and between each. pair of ears there is pivoted the forward end of a rod 56, which at its rear end is pivoted upon a pin e between ears 57, formed upon -a coupling head 58. Each of the heads 58, is formed with ears 59, between which is pivoted an ear 60, formedI upon a split collar 61, held adjustably upon the rod 7, by kmeans of bolts `62. Each 'head 58 is securedto its bar 56 by means of a pin. o, whileeach rod 47 is held upon a pin o. `y v From the foregoing description of the invention, it will be readily understood lthat the collars 41 and 6l, may be adjusted upon the rods 7 and 36, respectively, so as to adapt the device for application to automobiles in which the twosaid rods must be positioned a greater or less distance apart. Furthermore, it will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 2, of the drawings that the rod 8G, is located above the rod 7, so that the body of the machine may yield upwardly and downwardly as well as for'- wardly and backwardly upon its supporting springs without in any way affecting the headlight supporting plates of the de- .1.00

vice. Aalso -it will be understood from the foregoing that when the rod 7, is shifted laterally in either direction, the connecting rod 36, will be shifted in the same direction, thereby turning the headlight supporting plates so as to direct the rays of light in the true line of travel of the machine. Any up and down movement is compensated in part by the resilient bars 56, shown in Fig. 2, so that the instrumentalities will not be strained when the automobile is jolted.

Having thus described my said invention, what ll claim as new and desire tty secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a rod connecting the steering knuckles of an automobile, of two collars secured to said rod, a coupling head pivotally secured to each collar, a rod extending from each head, a main knuckle receiving the ends of said rods, an auxiliary knuckle pivotally secured to said main knuckle, two pivotally supported lamp re ceiving plates, a l,coupling bar connecting said plates, two c'bllars secured to said couic pling bar, a coupling headsecured to eahfl of said last mentioned collars, and a rod.

,extending fromeach last mentioned coupling head to said auxiliary knuckle.

2. rlihe combination with the rod connecting 'the steering knuckles oi an automobile, 130

of two collars secured to said rod, a couplin" head pivotally secured to each collar, a ro extending from each head, a main knuckle receiving the ends of said rods,I an auxiliary knuckle pivotally secured to said main knuckle, two pivotally supported lamp receiving plates each having a rearwardly ex tending ear, a coupling bar connecting said ears, two collars secured to said coupling bar, a coupling head secured to each of said last mentioned collars, and a rod extending from said last mentioned coupling head to said auxiliary knuckle.

3. The combination with an automobile body and the rod connecting its steering knuckles, of brackets extending from said body, a pivotally supported lamp receiving -plate secured to each bracket, a coupling bar connecting said plates, two collars secured to said couplin bar, a couplA a secured to each of said last mentioned collars, of two collars secured to said connecting rod, a coupling head pivotally secured to each last mentioned collar, a rod extendingpfrom each last mentioned head, a main knuckle receiving the ends of said last mentioned rods, an auxiliary knuckle pivotally secured to said main knuckle, and rods extending from said first mentioned coupling heads to said auxiliary knuckle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOI-1N SAMUEL CUTTER. Witnesses:

W. E. NEwsoME, WALTER W. WHITNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenti,

` Washington, D. C. 

